OK yes I did a bit of a Gone Girl and disappeared off the food blogging scene for a couple of months. I would love to tell you I was getting drastic plastic surgery, or had eloped with a billionaire. Truth is, I just needed a break from blogging. As you sometimes do. And I also ran out of cheese puns. What dragged me back was several people telling me how they missed the blog. And not just my Mum. So while I was away something interesting happened in Doha. A dedicated cheese shop opened. The Cheese Market requires a special trip to find at The Pearl Qatar. Although I plan to open…
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A Room With a View – Four Days in Florence
When I stepped off the plane in Florence last month, it dawned on me that it had almost been 20 years to the day since I was last in this city. Why I left it so long, I have no idea. But 20 years later I was back – older, a bit wealthier, better dressed but in no way wiser. I had originally planned to visit Rome. But then saw that thanks to Qatar Airways joining One World, I could now book a flight straight through to Florence with a short stop in Rome. I’m relieved to say the city hasn’t changed. It just has more Chinese tourists. I have…
- British, British cheese, Cheddar, Cheese, Comte, European Cheese, events, Food, France, French, Media, Middle East, Restaurant Reviews, Travel, wine
Fromage to Eternity
As we slide (or stagger) into the business end of the year, I find myself looking for distractions. So when I got a message via the Twitter that went something along the lines of “We have a new menu Market at W Doha, there are 20 new items. There is lots of cheese”, I declare a “Distraction Action” and head westwards. And the Twitter doesn’t lie. The new menu has cheese. Lots of it. And other amazing things as well. Starting with these balls of deliciousness. Cheddar chilli fritters. Give me cheddar and add some green chilis then deep fry it? Yes please. This is what I like about cheddar,…
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Girl on Grill (Cheese) Action
There are very few things in life that cannot be improved by a good grilling – meat, men and democracy being ones that spring immediately to mind. And of course, cheese. A friend and colleague had brought back this cheese from Saudi Arabia for me. Yes, an Eastern European cheese bought in Riyadh and delivered to me in Doha. International yah? Kashkaval is a yellow cheese hailing from Eastern Europe, specifically Albania, Romania and related countries. It tastes similar to cheddar cheese, and this one was laced with cumin seeds, giving it a unique flavor. It can be made with sheep or cow milk and I suspect this one was…
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My (Goat Cheese) Tart Will Go On
Remember Cher’s character in Mermaids? Where she only fed her kids cocktail snacks for dinner? That is my idea of heaven. I love a cocktail bite, at any time of the day. This could be because of simple maths, small bites don’t have as many calories right? Being of socialite tendencies, I am an expert in the field of food on a stick or in a napkin. And if it can incorporate cheese into that equation, heaven awaits. Ahem. The following morsels were served to me at a recent drinks function at Grand Hyatt Doha The creamy goats cheese tart was literally coin sized and the pastry on the right…
- American Cheese, Blue Cheese, brie, British, Cheddar, Cheese, Cyprus, European Cheese, Feta, Food, France, Goat Cheese, Gouda, Greece, Italy, Ricotta, Sheep Milk, Swiss, Travel, Unusual Cheeses, Washed Rind, White Cheese
Honor Roll – Huff Post Lists Best Cheeses
Every day I say a small prayer to a higher power for not being born lactose intolerant. I mean, it would have been difficult to do this blog in the first place. More importantly, what would I talk about at parties? I get asked a lot what I think the best cheese in the world is. The beauty is, there are thousands. The Huffington Post has a similar view to me, in that there is no such thing as a bad cheese. but they have also compiled a list of the 20 best cheeses (in their humble opinion). I agree with all the listed ones, maybe not the order. Check…
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Romano Wasn’t Built in a Day
I was looking forward to a quiet evening in with a bootleg copy of Behind the Candelabra and a cheeky glass of Malbec. Hopes were ashed by a friend, who upon hearing of said glittering bootleg, invited themselves over. Not one to order in, I decided to kill two well dressed birds with one stone and use the hunk of Romano I had in the fridge. Now combining seafood with cheese is controversial. Once in a restaurant in Sydney which shall remain nameless, the waiter refused to give me parmesan for my seafood linguine as “That’s NOT right”. Well, my taste buds maybe wired differently. I had planned a simple…
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Hadju Go – When You Are Hungary for Some European Cheese
I love Hungary, well Budapest. It’s like all of the really good things about Europe – food, wine, history, good looking people – all combined into one easily accessible and reasonably priced place. I like it so much I am vaguely considering buying an apartment there, as my European bolthole (well, more like a money spinner). Hungary makes great wine and also some great cheese. I found this variety of Kashkaval in my Doha supermarket and was immediately smitten. This is a kashkaval-type cheese with the characteristic full, tasty and slighly salty flavour that reminds us of nuts. It can easily be cut, it is stiff but when bent it…
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Cream of the Crop
In Qatar, the two months of May and June are often the busiest and most frustrating you can encounter. See, the country shuts down for a bit of June, all of July and August. When I say shut down, I mean grind to a halt. People flee the 50 degree temperatures and head to their homelands or Europe. As a result, clients want projects wrapped up in record time. Events, launches and other openings of envelopes are crammed into a single week. Yes this is a white girl problem, but I have had a bit of a week both and work and socially. Deadlines loomed. Announcements had to be made.…
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In Queso Emergency…Send Cheese
How can you not like Spain? Its economic prospects are in the toilet, yet they still live, eat and love like nothing is wrong. The Four Seasons Doha recently held a Spanish and Portugese Wine and Food Fair, showcasing the best of the Iberian Peninsula. The evening was more of a fair and included samples from selected winemakers from the region, plus tapas as well as cheese offerings. The cheese on offer was more of a tour of Europe. Of course there was the Spanish national icon – Manchego. On a visit to Madrid last year, I believe I ate this at every meal. For five days. made in the…